Chapter 14: Demon’s Lair – 12
After finishing dinner and lying down on my bed, I was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I called out, and to my surprise, it was none other than Ryusha, the young prince. He appeared to be alone, which made me think that this was rather risky. After all, he was always accompanied by guards within this mansion.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I’d like to have a little chat with Soushi-san,” he said.
“That’s fine, but… isn’t it a bit dangerous for you to be alone?” I pointed out.
Ryusha stuck out his tongue playfully, like a mischievous child. “It’s hard to talk with guards around. I just want to hear about your adventures, Soushi-san.”
“While I can’t say my stories are particularly interesting… please, come in,” I replied.
I gestured to a chair in the room, and Ryusha sat down with a hint of excitement in his demeanor. Perhaps for him, sneaking into an adventurer’s room to hear tales was a small adventure in itself. After all, he was a prince.
“What shall we talk about?” I asked.
“I’d like to hear about your battle with the Kin of Twilight first. And then, if you could, tell me about the Demons that might appear in this territory.”
“Understood. Let’s start with the Kin of Twilight—”
I recounted the details of my battles with the Kin of Twilight and the Demons, making sure to avoid embellishing the story. As I spoke, I noticed Ryusha’s eyes sparkling with curiosity. This must be his true nature. I had sensed he was a solid young man when I first met him, but the lively atmosphere he exuded now made me smile, even as I felt sympathy for his situation.
When I finished my tale, Ryusha let out a sigh. “You’re like a hero from a myth, Soushi-san. Being helped by someone so strong makes me feel like I’m part of a legend myself.”
“While it may sound heroic, I’m just an ordinary adventurer, as you can see. My party members, however, are quite different.”
“You mentioned that they are all women. Can women become adventurers and fight monsters like you, Soushi-san?”
“Yes. My companions are all incredibly strong women. I might be the strongest in terms of raw power, but each of them has their own specialties, whether it’s speed or magic. We complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses in battle.”
As I explained, Ryusha’s gaze turned distant for a moment. “I think it’s wonderful to move forward together with your companions. I want to be someone like that too. But I still lack strength. I managed to escape the castle, but beyond that, I feel helpless. If it weren’t for Danken-san and you, I would have been caught and returned to the castle. I’m frustrated with myself.”
“You are admirable, Ryusha-sama. At your age, I thought it was only natural to rely on adults.”
“But that’s just thinking. When I think about how I can’t do anything in the upcoming battle, it makes me feel guilty that you’ll be fighting for me, Soushi-san.”
In truth, I felt more guilty than he did, but voicing that wouldn’t lighten his heart.
“I mentioned earlier that each person has their place, and that applies to you, Ryusha-sama, and to the Marquis as well. I’m just a fighter, so I’ll lead the charge if there’s a battle. You, Ryusha-sama, are meant to be a beacon of hope for the people, and maintaining your presence is your primary duty. In fact, you have a significant responsibility waiting for you after the battle, so it’s perfectly fine for you to have nothing to do right now.”
“Is that what you mean by a relationship where we complement each other, like adventurers?”
“Exactly. In the end, the nation itself might be like one big party.”
It felt rather pretentious for someone who had been hesitant about battle to say such things. My sense of shame had been pricking at me, making it quite uncomfortable, and I was doing my best to keep a straight face.
How did our conversation suddenly turn into a life consultation for a troubled prince? I wished the Marquis would handle this instead… Ah, I see, she must be busy, which is why he came to me.
The atmosphere had grown a bit heavy, so I decided to pull out the ring with Poison Resistance +3 that I had obtained recently from my Item Box.
“I mentioned earlier that you have a tough job ahead of you, Ryusha-sama. This might help you. Would you accept it?”
“Eh!? This is…?”
“I obtained it from the dungeon in Lagantz Territory. It has the Poison Resistance Skill. My party members and I all possess this skill, so it doesn’t hold much value for us. You might already have one, but…”
“No, all magical accessories were confiscated from me. But are you sure about this? I’ve heard it’s quite valuable.”
“Fortunately, my party has no issues with money, so it’s not a problem. In fact, if you don’t have one right now, it would be wise to wear it. It might ease the Marquis’s worries as well.”
To be honest, it was like saying, “You might be poisoned,” but Ryusha seemed accustomed to such matters and didn’t show any signs of discomfort.
“That’s true. I’ll gladly accept your kindness for now. But I promise I will repay you for this, Soushi-san.”
“I look forward to that. I’ll give it my all in battle to earn my reward.”
“I’d love to see how you fight up close, but I doubt the Marquis would allow it.”
At that moment, Ryusha’s expression returned to the innocent face he had when he entered the room. Although our conversation had taken a strange turn, I was relieved to see him back to his usual self. If he had left my room looking serious, it would have led to some frightening consequences afterward.